Chapter 3

1 The great confusion which cometh by sin. 9 The impudency of the people. 12 The oppression and covetousness of the rulers. 16 The judgments which shall be for the pride of the women.

1. From Jerusalem and from Judah. Jerusalem and Judah represent the professed people of God, who, in Isaiah’s time, had gone far from God and yet made a loud but vain profession of religion. A similar situation prevails in the world today, and the same message is needed in these last days for a people who worship God with their lips but whose hearts are far from Him. See on Matt. 15:7–9.

The stay and the staff. The Lord is about to remove from Judah the two chief supports of life, bread and water. See Lev. 26:26; Ps. 105:16; Eze. 4:16; 5:16; 14:13, where the expression “staff of bread” is used. Undoubtedly Isaiah here refers to literal famine, but the context seems to apply the figures of literal famine to a dearth of able leaders. The nation would suffer from a lack of leadership as the body does from lack of food. When statesmen were removed, the responsibilities of government rested upon the shoulders of weaklings. The inevitable result was national decline (see vs. 2–5).

2. The judge, and the prophet. Verses 2 and 3 list the various classes of men who were the mainstay of the nation. Without such leaders no state can long endure. But men like these would be removed from Judah, with the result that national weakness and disruption would follow. The Lord does not say that He will deliberately remove such men from the land, but simply calls attention to the working of the law of cause and effect. He allowed Israel to have leaders after their own heart, who would rule as the people wanted to be ruled.

3. The honourable man. Or, “the man of rank” (RSV). This verse continues the list of able leaders to be removed from Judah—army officers, men occupying positions in the civil service, all needed to make a nation strong and prosperous. It was men of this type who were taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar (see 2 Kings 24:14; cf. Jer. 24:1; Dan. 1:3, 4).

4. I will give children. The leadership in national affairs would fall into the hands of men with the brains of children. Men lacking in ability would be chosen to govern the nation. There would be a grave lack of capable leaders, and as a result affairs would go from bad to worse. “Babes”—capricious individuals, men lacking clarity of thought and judiciousness of action—would make the decisions and control the destiny of the state. Under such conditions national doom would be swift and certain.

5. Shall be oppressed. Nations with wise and capable rulers do not suffer from injustice and oppression. A determined effort on the part of a nation’s leaders to promote equality and justice will prevent abuses that result in the ruin of civilization. When citizens of a nation are constantly oppressed by their neighbors their confidence and prosperity languish. Where there is injustice and deceit, violence and oppression, a nation is on the downward path, and a day of reckoning is certain to come. This has been true in all the ages; it was true of Judah in the day of Isaiah, and it is fully as true today. Corruption paves the way for chaos and ruin.

The child shall behave. Those young in years and experience would disdain the counsel of their elders. As set forth in the Decalogue, man’s first duty to his fellow men is to honor his parents (Ex. 20:12; cf. Lev. 19:32). The perils foretold of the last days include those of children “disobedient to parents,” and men “heady, highminded,” and “despisers of those that are good” (2 Tim. 3:1–4).

6. Thou hast clothing. Attempts would be made to thrust leadership upon men with property, ignoring the fact that the possession of material advantages is not necessarily evidence of ability to govern.

Let this ruin. By “this ruin” the speaker refers to the nation as if it were a dilapidated dwelling. Times would be far from prosperous.

7. I will not be an healer. This is the reply of the brother who had been urged to become ruler over the “ruin” (v. 6). The appeal is refused, and the position of “healer” goes unfilled. Not for him is the task of binding up other men’s wounds. If there is a work of restoration to be done, let another undertake the responsibility. Whether or not he possessed the qualifications, he would refuse the responsibility of leadership.

8. For Jerusalem is ruined. By the time of Sennacherib’s invasions (see Vol. II, pp. 87, 88) the kingdom of Judah had been largely reduced to ruins. King Hezekiah had been forced to submit to a burdensome levy imposed by the Assyrian king (see on ch. 2:7). Though Sennacherib did not succeed in entering Jerusalem, the rest of the nation had fallen into his hands.

Their tongue and their doings. Isaiah here sets forth the reason for the humiliation that had befallen the nation and the complete ruin that was certain to follow—the people had forsaken the Lord, and as a result He could no longer bless and protect them. In both word and deed the professed people of God were in rebellion against Him.

To provoke the eyes of his glory. Literally, “to rebel before the eyes of his glory,” that is, “in his very presence” (see v. 9). God is long-suffering and kind, and hesitates long before inflicting judgment upon the guilty. But the time of reckoning, though long delayed, will surely come.

9. The shew of their countenance. Literally, “their regard for faces,” meaning “their partiality” (see Acts 10:34). Right or wrong was without meaning for these evil men; they did as they pleased. Justice did not count, only expediency. Their attitude and their deeds bore witness against them in the sight of Heaven.

Their sin as Sodom. The men of Sodom were open sinners. The city was notorious for its wickedness, and the people took delight in their reputation for evil. There was no pretense of right action—nothing but blatant iniquity openly flaunted before the world. This class of sinners was in open rebellion against God, and made no attempt to hide the fact. At this stage, vice no longer paid homage to virtue by making a pretense of goodness. There was an open display of vice and iniquity, an utter shamelessness in the doing of wrong. The cities of Israel were like the cities of the plain in their profligacy, and were ripe for destruction.

Rewarded evil. Sin sows the seeds of its own destruction. A sinner’s wickedness calls for a cup of bitterness and evil that will burn his soul and destroy his being. All who do wrong reward themselves with evil, not good.

10. Say ye to the righteous. Every man reaps that which he himself has sown. The righteous sows good seed, which will bring forth a harvest of good. The great lesson men need to learn is that whatsoever they sow they will also reap. There is no greater mistake that parents or teachers can make than to allow the youth to think that when they sow evil they may reap good. Inexorable fate has pronounced a curse upon the sinner. Let no man therefore say to the sinner in Zion that the future will be well with him. It cannot be, for God has pronounced a curse. Only he who forsakes sin and does well may expect the blessing of Heaven.

11. Woe unto the wicked! This is not an arbitrary decree on the part of God, but the statement of a fundamental fact. Nothing in the world is more certain than that the sowing of evil produces evil. When men sow wickedness, they and the world about them are certain to reap a harvest of woe. By its iniquity Israel was destroying itself. It was necessary to impress this fact indelibly upon the hearts of all in order that there might be a turning away from sin, and the nation saved as a result. There is no greater patriot or more valuable citizen than the preacher of righteousness. From first to last, Isaiah kept this point before his people, and not altogether without success. It was largely his preaching that brought about a reformation, and thereby saved the nation from the doom that would otherwise have speedily engulfed the land.

Shall be given him. The recently discovered Dead Sea scroll 1QIs (see Vol. I, p. 31; Vol. IV, p. 86) reads, “will return to him.”

12. Children are their oppressors. These words are sometimes thought to refer to the ages of the kings of Judah at this time, but that can hardly be true because the rulers during the time of Isaiah were not unusually young when they began to reign. Jotham was 25 when he came to the throne (2 Kings 15:33), Ahaz was 20 (2 Kings 16:2), and Hezekiah was 25 (2 Kings 18:2). Azariah (Uzziah), however, was only 16 when he came to the throne (2 Kings 15:2), but Isaiah’s ministry evidently did not begin till near the end of Azariah’s reign (see Isa. 6:1). Manasseh was 12 (2 Kings 21:1) and Josiah only 8 (2 Kings 22:1) when they began to rule. Since the kings of Isaiah’s time were not literally youths, it is not likely that such would be the case, literally, with their appointed officials. The meaning is that the rulers of the time were children in mental outlook and capacity. Experienced leadership was lacking, on the throne, in the home, and elsewhere. This was, of course, true particularly with Ahaz, who began to rule a few years after Isaiah received his call, and who was succeeded by the good king Hezekiah.

Women rule over them. Again the meaning is that the land was governed by men who were without any particular aptitude for rulership. Although the words “children” and “women” are not to be taken literally, the influence of the haughty and dissolute “daughters of Zion” described in vs. 16–24 must have exercised an indirect influence upon affairs of state through the leaders. Instead of helping their husbands, such women were a hindrance to them, and instead of teaching their children the ways of righteousness, they led them in paths of evil.

They which lead thee. A leader occupies a position of great responsibility, for where he leads, the people will follow. When leaders go in the wrong direction entire nations are led astray. The civil and religious leaders of Isaiah’s time were leading the professed people of God into paths of iniquity and destruction. The world today is under evil influences that are steadily but surely leading men along pathways of evil, whose end is eternal doom. Never in all the ages was right leadership of greater importance than it is today.

13. The Lord standeth up. When evil reaches a certain limit, which the Lord has predetermined, He will arise in judgment (PK 364; 5T 208, 524). Intercession ceases and the execution of judgment begins. God is pleading with His people to repent and turn from their evil before it is forever too late.

14. The ancients. That is, the elders and leaders who were ruling the land. They were “blind leaders of the blind” (Matt. 15:14). The people looked to them for guidance and wisdom, only to be led into ways of evil and folly.

Eaten up the vineyard. The vineyard represents the nation of Israel (ch. 5:7; see chs. 1:1, 8, 27; 2:1, 3; 3:1, 8, 16; 4:3, 4). The civil and religious leaders were the keepers of the vineyard. Instead of caring for it, they had devoured it. Their interest was in themselves rather than in the welfare of the people they governed.

The spoil of the poor. The poor of the land were defrauded by those who ruled over them. The reason for the impoverishment of the people was the greed of those in positions of influence and power.

15. Ye beat my people. The people of Israel were the people of God. The poor and unfortunate were as much children of God, and were held in as high esteem by the Ruler of heaven, as were the rich. God noted every injustice, and would hold every oppressor responsible for his misdeeds. By reason of their feebleness and poverty the weak and needy have a claim upon every person who professes to be a servant of God. To oppress the poor is to violate the basic principles of the kingdom of heaven. God will not look kindly upon those who secure wealth by taking advantage of the poor, and then endeavor to salve their conscience by making offerings of ill-gotten gains to the Lord.

16. Daughters of Zion. Having discussed the princes and elders of Israel, Isaiah now turns to their wives and daughters, who are fully as degenerate. Nowhere else in the Bible is there so detailed a denunciation of degenerate womanhood as here. The women of Isaiah’s time are pictured exactly as they were—vain, haughty, highminded, proud, interested in themselves rather than in the Lord and the needs of those about them. In striking contrast is the picture Peter gives of ideal Christian womanhood (Peter 3:1–5). Haughtiness was the outstanding characteristic of the “daughters of Zion,” whereas “a meek and quiet spirit” is the outstanding trait God would see reflected in their lives.

Walk. The women of Zion affected the gait of harlots in order to attract the attention of men. With outstretched necks and ogling eyes, with mincing steps and coy glances, the women walked the streets, seeking to attract attention to themselves and bring their victims within their power (see Prov. 7:6–21).

A tinkling. In certain Oriental countries small silver bells were fastened to the ankles, which gave out a tinkling sound as the wearers walked. Bracelets were worn on legs as well as arms, and these too made a tinkling sound as the girls walked the streets. The “daughters of Zion” followed the customs of the degenerate nations about them.

17. A scab. The women would be smitten with various types of disease and would fall victim to brutal invaders who would strip them of their costly clothing.

18. The bravery. Literally, “the beauty.”

Tinkling ornaments. Heb. Фakasim, literally, “anklets,” from the root Фakas, “to shake bangles,” “to tinkle.” ФAkas is translated “tinkling” in v. 16.

Cauls. Heb. shebisim, perhaps “hair nets,” or “headbands” of gold or silver worn over the head, from ear to ear.

Round tires like the moon. Heb. sЊaharonim, literally, “little moons,” probably crescent-shaped pendants worn as necklaces. In the ancient Orient many types of neck ornaments were in use, made of gold or silver, or of precious stones.

19. Chains. Heb. netiphoth, literally, “eardrops.” These were probably pendants hanging from the ears.

Bracelets. Bracelets were, and still are, a favorite ornament in Oriental lands. They were frequently large and gaudy, and several were often worn at a time.

Mufflers. Heb. reФaloth, “veils,” that is, scarfs or long, flowing veils.

20. Bonnets. Heb. peХerim, “headdresses” of various types—probably including diadems, ribbons, hats, and highly decorated hairpins. See also Ex. 39:28, where the word peХerim is used of priestly “bonnets” (see Eze. 44:18).

Ornaments of the legs. Heb. seФadoth, “bracelets,” probably worn on the legs, possibly also on the arms. Oriental women often decorated their legs as much as they did their arms.

Headbands. Heb. qishshurim, “bands,” for the head or for the breast. This was a highly ornamental article of dress in Eastern lands, particularly as worn by brides. Compare Jer. 2:32, where qishshurim is rendered “attire.”

Tablets. Literally, “breath containers,” probably perfume boxes or scent bottles.

Earrings. Heb. lechashim, “charms,” or “amulets,” probably containing magic words and worn to produce for the wearer some magical effect.

21. Rings. Heb. tabbaФoth, “rings” for the fingers or the ears, also “signet rings” (see Gen. 41:42; Ex. 35:22; Num. 31:50; Esther 8:8).

Nose jewels. Or, “nose rings,” a very common item of jewelry in the East, today as in ancient times.

22. Changeable suits of apparel. More accurately, “formal dresses,” “festal robes,” “state dresses.” Compare Zech. 3:4, “change of raiment.” The garments referred to were used only on state occasions, and were removed before the wearer resumed the activities of ordinary life.

Mantles. Or, “tunics,” or “overtunics.”

Wimples. Heb. mitpachoth, a large “shawl” worn as a “cloak” over the tunic. See Ruth 3:15, where mitpachoth is employed for the veil worn by Ruth. The recently discovered Dead Sea scroll 1QIs (see Vol. I, p. 31; Vol. IV, pp. 86–88) omits “and the wimples.”

Crisping pins. Heb. charitim, probably “purses,” or “handbags” (see 2 Kings 5:23).

23. Glasses. Heb. gilyonim, from the root galah, “to uncover,” “to reveal.” Whether gilyonim refers to “transparent garments,” as some authorities following the LXX think, or “mirrors,” as others suggest, with the Vulgate, is not certain. Transparent dresses were common in ancient Egypt, and may have been adopted by the women of apostate Judah. Polished metal mirrors were also common in the ancient Orient (see on Ex. 38:8). Since other items in the list refer to articles that were worn, the gilyonim were probably articles of dress or some objects worn as a part of the costume.

Fine linen. Garments of fine linen, at times comparable to the finest silk or the sheerest gauze, were highly prized in the ancient East.

The hoods. Or, “turbans,” which completed the attire, and over which the veil was thrown.

24. Sweet smell. That is, “perfume,” probably from balsam oil.

Stink. Or, “musty smell.” Many living in luxury would be stripped of earthly wealth and carried captive to foreign lands. The Assyrians were cruel masters. Sennacherib claims to have taken 200,150 of the people of Judah captive to Assyria in the year 701. Among the captives he particularly mentions daughters of the royal household, royal concubines, and male and female musicians. Many of the “daughters of Jerusalem” who flaunted their finery at the time of Isaiah’s scathing denunciation were no doubt among those stripped and taken to Assyria in disgrace and shame. Instead of the balmy scent of perfume there would be the stench of squalor, pestilence, and death.

Instead of a girdle a rent. Instead of an embroidered girdle there would be rags—a “rope” around the loins instead of a “sash.”

Well set hair. Heb. miqsheh, “artificially set hair.” Instead of beautiful, well-dressed hair there would be the cropped head of the slave.

Stomacher. Heb. pethigil, a “garment” of fine material and workmanship. Instead of such a garment there would be nothing but a scrap of sackcloth to wear as a cover over the loins.

Burning instead of beauty. This translation is based on the Masoretic Hebrew text (see Vol. I, pp. 34–36), which reads, kiРtachath yophi. Both the LXX and the Vulgate omit the phrase completely, though Lucian’s revision of the LXX has the interpretive rendering tauta soi anti kallopismou, “all of these [shall be] to you instead of adornment.” This makes the last phrase of v. 24 a summary statement of the entire verse rather than the final item in the list of woes. The KJV reading is based on the belief that the Heb. ki is from the verb kawah, “to burn,” “to scorch,” “to brand.” No other instance of ki thus used is known, and it is extremely doubtful that this can be its meaning here. Modern translators and commentators have followed the conjectural rendering of the KJV, suggesting that the women of Jerusalem were to be branded as slaves (see Moffatt’s translation) as cattle are branded, with a hot iron. The recent discovery of the Dead Sea scroll 1QIs, dating from about 125 b.c., and thus a thousand years older than the oldest Masoretic text of Isaiah (see Vol. I, p. 31; Vol. IV, pp. 86–88), solves the problem with the reading kiРtachath yophi bosheth, “thus instead of beauty, shame,” bosheth meaning “shame” (see on 2 Sam. 2:8). The Heb. ki thus assumes its normal meaning as a conjunction—“thus,” “therefore,” “yea,” or “for”—in this instance introducing the summary phrase for Isa. 3:24. Ki is translated “for” in chs. 5:7; 51:3, for instance. Isa. 3:24 thus provides an interesting illustration of the value of the recently discovered Isaiah scroll in restoring the original reading of the Hebrew text.

25. The sword. In coming judgments the men of Judah would fall by the sword of invading armies. It is impossible to say how many thousands in Judah perished at the hands of the Assyrians during the days of Isaiah. If over 200,000 men and women were taken captive at the time of Sennacherib’s invasion of 701, it is possible that the number slain in this, his first campaign, was even greater (see on 2 Kings 18:13). It should be noted, however, that Sennacherib is often given to exaggeration.

Thy mighty in the war. Sennacherib mentions the elite troops of Hezekiah falling into his hands. Undoubtedly many of the bravest soldiers perished and many others were taken captive to the far land of Assyria.

26. Her gates. Jerusalem is pictured as a stricken woman, sitting on the ground desolate and afflicted, crying bitterly over the terrors that have overwhelmed her. The experience of Israel of old was recorded “for our learning” (Rom. 15:4), “for our admonition” (1 Cor. 10:11), with the purpose that we should avoid making the same mistakes (1 Cor. 10:1–10) and as a result realize the glorious purpose God has for His people today (see Heb. 3:7, 8, 12–15; 4:1–3, 11, 14, 15).

Ellen G. White comments

1–261T 270

1–4PK 323

8     PK 324

9     PP 455

10   8T 250

10, 11  Ed 146; GC 540; 1T 469; 2T 648; 3T 272; 5T 431

12   FE 222; PK 324; 5T 88

14–16, 18–23PK 306

25        1T 270